Lead coffin within stone coffin unearthed in King Richard III car park

Updated
Tue 30 Jul 2013, 9:03 AM AEST

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Eight people were needed to lift the stone lid on the outer coffin.

University of Leicester

Archaeologists have discovered a mysterious coffin-within-a-coffin under the Leicester car park where the skeleton of England's King Richard III was famously uncovered more than 500 years after he fell in battle.

Experts returned to the site of the former Grey Friars Church at the beginning of July to learn more about the area, only to find a fully intact stone casket with a lead coffin inside.

The same team of university archaeologists had previously discovered English King Richard III's skeleton in the remains of the friary church, now located under Leicester City Council's social services department.

"For me, it was as exciting as finding Richard III. We still don't know who is inside - so there is still a question mark over it," said Mathew Morris, the site director of the University of Leicester Archaeological Services.